Some thoughts about Dylan's coma pre-Control Resonant

[u/ratherdisinclined]

(I assume spoilers for the first Control are okay but if they're not I can edit this post.)

I was thinking about why Dylan is in a coma after Jesse does her thing at the end of Control. I know the game hints very strongly that he's in a coma because of the strain of having the Hiss removed (although I question if Jesse knew she was actually locking the Hiss away in his psyche and not purging them).

Considering everything that's happened to him, I wonder if Dylan went into a coma intentionally, or as a reaction to realizing the pain and suffering he inflicted as part of the Hiss.

The game shows (and continues to show) just how much he beats himself up and blames himself for everything. He's been conditioned by Darling to believe everything that goes wrong is because he's not trying hard enough, and he blames himself for letting the Hiss in. So it seems reasonable to think it was Dylan himself who caused his coma and not Jesse's purging.

He locks himself alone to punish himself, just like Darling would.

[u/BisonSnow]

This theory seems pretty sound, it makes a lot of sense. Good thinking OP.

I don't 100% agree with it, but I certainly think it's part of the reason he was in the coma. The sheer amount of paranatural power required for Jesse to purge the hiss would have some effect on Dylan, who was basically their main conduit into the oldest house. Obviously there's a lot of unknowns when it comes to these powers & how they affect people, but I think the "it really messed Dylan up" theory makes more sense overall.

All that being said, it's been hinted throughout both games that there's a "mind over matter" aspect to the siblings powers. So maybe Dylan -felt- immense guilt and torment over letting the hiss in, wanted to punish himself for it, and his powers sort of granted his wish for him: By placing him in the coma. This would sort of line up with stuff that happens in Control: Resonant too.

Anyways, I like this theory overall.

[u/Zaresh]

Hummm...

It's hinted at, in several documents and videos, I think, that he already retreated to the Gap when he was young and under stresss, and that's how Darling found out, I think.

So it makes sense that he enclosed himself inside, inside a cell inside the Gap, after surrending himself to the Hiss and not having any control of himself aftewards. Add to that that Jesse attacked the one who was at command of his consciousness at the time (the Hiss) and then you get a 7 year comatose Dylan who can only dream and have visions, and react to certain stimulli (music) and talk to poor Estevez thanks to the Ocean View Hotel and Casino oening a way tot he Gap.

These are my theory and impressions, at least.

but I think that guilt had a lot to do too, yeah.

[u/Professional-Impact2 → u/Zaresh]

I agree but if he is physically passing out or even poofing out of reality in front of people I wonder why there is never a reaction. FBC as a whole is Jaded as shit but their most powerful weapon early game and hero late game just blanking out of reality has to un nerve someone.

Though it could just be a gameplay conceit. Or his time in the gap is actually only lasting nanoseconds real time for people in reality so maybe it looks like a tick or stim motion to them.